Lin Xiang lifted the quilt and rushed straight to the kitchen.
Once Mrs. Lin realized what was happening, she also headed to the kitchen, just in time to see Lin Xiang about to take out the white flour that Liu Pei had brought in the afternoon. She immediately rushed over and snatched it back.
"Girl, are you crazy? How does Lin Yun deserve to eat white flour? It's a blessing he has cornbread to eat!"
Lin Xiang pointed to the cold stove, "Then please tell me, where's the cornbread?"
"We spent two dimes on fever medicine for him, and he still wants white flour? That's impossible!"
"Mom, the money for the fever medicine was also earned by my brother!" Lin Xiang pressed her throbbing temple, feeling like there was a barrier in their communication.
"Mom, my brother's wound is infected. If he doesn't take fever medicine in time, it could be life-threatening!"
She leaned closer to Mrs. Lin's ear, "Mom, think about it. Our family has survived thanks to my brother's hard work, despite us being lazy. Your savings, they're all from my brother. If something happens to him, what would happen to us?"
Lin Xiang didn't want to admit that she was like a leech, relying on her brother, but since her character had already been established that way, going against it too much would surely cause suspicion and prolong her return.
Mrs. Lin was selfish and greedy, but she loved her daughter and listened to reason.
What Lin Xiang said made sense, and Mrs. Lin agreed to let Lin Yun have some food.
"But no white flour! We only have so much, and if it's all for him, how are we supposed to live? Listen to me, use cornmeal!"
"Fine then!"
Cornmeal would do; it was better than nothing.
Originally, Lin Xiang wanted to make Lin Yun a bowl of handmade noodles to help with his digestion, but since white flour was off limits, she could only make cornbread.
After finally getting Mrs. Lin out of the kitchen, Lin Xiang stealthily scooped a small half-spoon of sugar from the almost empty jar.
The book mentioned that Lin Yun wasn't concerned about food but had a particular fondness for sweets.
The cornbread made in the morning had some white flour and sugar, and while the texture was mediocre, it still had a sweet taste.
Unfortunately, Lin Yun was unlucky. Just as Lin Xiang brought him the cornbread, he fell into a high fever and fainted, and amidst the chaos, the cornbread was lost.
Considering Lin Yun's large appetite, Lin Xiang steamed four cornbreads and picked a cucumber from their private plot, seasoning it with salt.
In the woodshed, Lin Yun tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His stomach felt as if it was being punched repeatedly, causing cold sweat to pour down his face.
In twenty years, he had never had a full meal. Two meals a day was already generous by Mrs. Lin's standards, and he always swallowed quickly to save time, leading to severe stomach problems over time.
The high fever caused by his wound infection only exacerbated his stomach pain.
Half asleep, he heard a knock on the door and gathered his strength to ask, "Who is it?"
"Brother, mom said you haven't eaten much today, and you're still sick. You can't afford to weaken your body; it'll be hard to recover later. I just steamed some cornbread, and I've left them at the door for you. Remember to get up and eat them later."
Lin Xiang placed the plate under the window and returned to her bedroom.
She never had the mindset of doing good deeds quietly, especially since she needed the protagonist to like her in order to return to her luxurious 200-square-meter estate. Not bragging about her good deeds was already an act of kindness.
As soon as Lin Xiang returned to her bedroom, Lin Yun forced himself up, opened the door, and immediately noticed the two plates under the window.
On one plate were four cornbreads. Maybe he was just too hungry and having hallucinations, but they seemed to emit a tempting aroma that drew his hand to reach for them.
Just as Lin Yun's hand touched a cornbread, he suddenly withdrew it.
"Lin Xiang has always just ordered me around; why would she be so kind to steam cornbread for me now?"
As for Lin Xiang saying that Mrs. Lin noticed he hadn't eaten all day, Lin Yun dismissed it entirely.
After twenty years living together, he knew too well that his mother couldn't care less about his situation.
Eventually, Lin Yun couldn't resist the stomach pain any longer and reached for a cornbread. As he chewed it, his previously dull and lifeless eyes lit up.
"Sweet?"
He instinctively glanced towards Lin Xiang's bedroom. The light was already out; she must be asleep.
The next morning, after getting up, Lin Xiang went to collect the plates from Lin Yun. Only two cornbreads were eaten, and the cucumber was barely touched.
Lin Xiang knocked on the door, and Lin Yun quickly opened it. The thanks he had rehearsed got stuck in his throat when Lin Xiang spoke.
"Are you feeling better?"
The concern in her words was direct, yet Lin Xiang's slightly turned-down lips, combined with her slim face lacking flesh, gave her an angry look when not smiling.
Lin Yun misunderstood, "I'm much better. I can go to work today."
After saying that, Lin Yun brushed past Lin Xiang, turned, and left the courtyard, grabbing a straw hat to put on his head.
"No, you've misunderstood me!"
Lin Xiang hurriedly chased after him, but Lin Yun's steps were too quick. She could only watch his figure fade into the distance.
Lin Xiang's eyes drooped, "The goodwill from making him cornbread last night, could that misunderstanding just now have canceled it out?"
Lin Yun had no idea about Lin Xiang's dilemma. His task for the day was to cut straw; harvesting five acres would earn him full work points.
His fever had subsided, and after eating two cornbreads last night, he felt barely okay today.
Even if he wasn't, he had to push through.
At noon, knowing that the Lin family wouldn't bring him food, Lin Yun took a compressed biscuit from his shirt pocket and quietly ate it in the field.
This compressed biscuit had been given to him by a comrade he got along with when he worked in the county before. There were only two pieces, and Lin Yun had been reluctant to eat them.
Normally, he would go hungry, but since he wasn't fully recovered, he had to prioritize his health.
It was Lin Yun's first time eating a compressed biscuit. After opening the package, he stuffed it into his mouth. Contrary to his expectations, the biscuit wasn't crispy but rather dense. After chewing a small piece, his cheeks ached.
"Are you eating?"
A familiar voice suddenly came from behind. Lin Yun instinctively turned his head and was startled to see Lin Xiang's face up close. Caught off guard, he choked on the biscuit he had yet to swallow, coughing until tears came to his eyes.
Lin Xiang quickly handed him a prepared bottle of water, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Lin Yun grabbed the rod firmly and drank a large gulp of water to help swallow the biscuit.